Shared leadership for inclusion leads

Leadership for developing inclusive practice and meeting the additional needs of children and young people is in place and shared appropriately depending on the size and context of the educational setting. 

Leadership for developing inclusive practice and meeting the additional needs of children and young people is in place and shared appropriately depending on the size and context of the educational setting. 

Schools will have a designated lead for Looked After Children and a qualified SENCo. A SENCo has to be qualified, or have started their training within three years of starting the role. It is possible that there could be schools that don’t have a fully qualified SENCo.

In addition, all schools are supported through local authority workforce development training 2022-25 to have a trained lead for Mental Health, Social Communication (Autism Education Trust trained lead) and a trained Speech Language and Communication lead (from Easter 2025).

There is a designated mental health lead in school who is responsible for:

  • Promoting positive mental health within school
  • Monitoring SEMH intervention and deciding when it is appropriate to involve other services. In some schools this may be the SENCo.
  • Being one point of contact for external support services, e.g. Educational psychology service, child and adolescent mental health
  • Ensuring that mental health workers in schools have appropriate qualifications and accreditations (the professional standards authority for health and social care) provides details of appropriate accreditations for different roles.
  • Engaging parents in supporting young people's mental health
  • Maintaining awareness of relevant research and policy updates in this area
  • Identifying the potential risk factors within the vulnerable groups in school
  • Liaising with the governing body regarding SEMH
  • Liaising with the mental health in schools teams if available

There is a designated teacher for Looked After Children (LAC) who is responsible for:

  • Being the central point of contact within school and work with the Virtual School and other outside agencies
  • Promoting the education of looked after children through the development and review of school policies, promoting a culture of inclusion in which staff are attachment aware and trauma informed and best able to support these highly vulnerable young people
  • Ensuring there is a child advocate in school and to enable looked after children to share their views
  • Supporting school staff in their understanding of how looked after children achieve, potential barriers to this and how to support the pupils they teach
  • Working directly with looked after children and their parent carers to promote good home-school links and facilitate collaborative support
  • Working with the school's designated safeguarding lead to ensure any safeguarding concerns are dealt with appropriately (DFE Designated teacher for CLA guidance)
  • Leading on the development and implementation of the child's Personal Education Plan within school

There is a designated qualified SENCo in school who is responsible for:

  • A SENCo has to be qualified, or have started their training within three years of starting the role. It is possible that there could be schools that don’t have a fully qualified SENCo. A SENCo will be part of a school's senior leadership team.
  • Informing strategic decision making with the senior leadership team with regard to SEND.
  • Promoting SEND within school.
  • Providing support and guidance to all staff around SEND. 
  • Ensuring that the One Page Profile / Pen Portrait is co-produced with the child or young person and their family, that clearly communicates key information to staff teams regarding the child or young person's views and what the child or young person feels works best for them in the learning environment.
  • Engaging parents in supporting a child or young person's language, learning and / or sensory, physical and medical needs.
  • Collating and detailing all SEND support and interventions that are available in school, for example within a Provision Map.
  • Ensuring the Assess / Plan / Do / Review cycle is implemented.
  • Auditing practice within school.
  • Ensuring that care plans are in place and reviewed when necessary.
  • Being one point of contact for external support services.
  • Maintaining awareness of relevant research and policy updates in this area.
  • Identifying potential risk factors within the vulnerable groups in school. 
  • Being accountable to the school's governing body regarding SEND. 
  • Ensuring the maintenance and effective use of specialist equipment, ICT and other resources.
  • Considering exam arrangements, as appropriate.
     

There is a designated lead for supporting social communication and interaction needs in school who is AET trained and responsible for:

  • In some schools the SENCo will fulfil this role.
  • Providing support and guidance to all staff around supporting social communication and interaction needs, including support for autistic pupils
  • Being one point of contact for external support services, e.g. Health professionals and providers of specialist equipment, specialist teaching services including the SISS Autism Team, Solihull Education Psychology Service
  • Engaging parents in supporting young people's social communication needs
  • Maintaining awareness of relevant research and policy updates in this area
  • Identifying the potential risk factors within the vulnerable groups in school
  • Auditing practice within the school
  • Liaising with the governing body regarding communication and interaction needs
  • Attending the LA termly Autism Leads meetings to share good practice and gain further CPD

There is a designated lead for speech and language in school who is responsible for

  • In some schools the SENCo will fulfil this role.
  • Promoting speech and language within school
  • Ensuring that school staff follow the speech language and communication needs pathway for schools.
  • Provide support and guidance to all staff around speech and language
  • Being one point of contact for external support services, e.g. speech and language therapists
  • Engaging parents in supporting children and young people's language development
  • Maintaining awareness of relevant research and policy updates in speech and language
  • Auditing practice within the school
  • Identifying the potential risk factors within the vulnerable groups in school
  • Promoting the importance of speech and language and its effect on learning throughout school